Pneumatic-cushion support for automobile-bodies.



, J. M. SULLIVAN. PNEUMATIC CUSHION SUPPORT FOR AUTOMOBILE BODIESAPPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1915.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

I ZSHEETS-SHEEf I Suva vim J/I' Lia/76% wi/bneooco J. M. SULLIVAN.

PNEUMATIC cusmou SUPPORT FOR AUTOMOBILE; BODIES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1915- I Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOSEPH M. SULLIVAN, OF fiALLAS, TEXAS.

PNEUMATIC-CUSHION SUFEORT FOR AUTOMOBILE-BODIES.

Application filed March a, 1915. Serial $0. 12,162.

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn M. SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, haveinvented anew and useful Pneumatic cushion Support forAutomobile-Bodies; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame. I

This invention relates to the art of automobiles and other vehicles, andmore espe cially to an improved pneumatic cushion sup.- port between thebody of the automobile or other vehicle and the running gear, and anobject of the same is to not only produce a .device for neutralizing orovercoming the running gear and the body, which would otherwise occur ifsaid parts were connected more or less rigid.

pneumatic support for-a vehicle body including air pressure (wh1ch isautomatically Another object of the invention is to not only provide asimple, eflicient and practical supplied by suitable pumping meansconnected with the driving shaft of the engine) but to provide a device,whichwill not only dispense with the use of pneumatic tires, but whichwill diffuse every shock, no matter how severe, so it can hardly henoticed or felt.

In practical fields the details-of construction may necessitatealterations, falling vto within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, ashereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed. 4

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an automobile,showing four pneumatic cylinders connected uni-v versally between thecody and the rumiing gear, one adjacenteach endof the front andSpecification of Letters Patent.

with an air reservoir tween the pump and the crank shaft in-' ?atentedsens, leis,

rear axles, and having connections with an air reservoir, which "issupplied by suitable pumping means having connections with the crankshaft of the engine. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 3is a rear elevation. 4: is an enlarged detail sectional view showing theconnections between one of the cylinders and the front axle and thevehicle body. Fig. 5 is a: sectional view on line 55 of Fig. l. Fig. 6is a sectional view through another form of pneumatic cylinder.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 designates the usual formof automobile engine, to thecrank shaft 2 of which a conventional formof pump 3 has connections 4: and 5, whereby as the engine is in action,the pump is automatically operated. The pump 3 hassuitable pipeconnections t3 7. The connections beclu de clutch means 8, whereby thepump may be thrown out of gear with the crank shaft.

Fitting and secured to each end of the forward and rear axle are angularplates 9, the bearing surfaces 19 of which may be any suitable shape, inorder to fit different" shapes of axles. However, in the present casethe axles are shown rectangular, The

upper ears of'the plates 9 are bolted'together by the bolts 11; Thelower ears 12 are prov1ded with registeringlapertures l3,

which receive a reduced portion ll of the bolt 15, and swiveled upon theenlarged cylindrical part 16 of each bolt 15 is a U-shaped bracket 17,there being awasher l8 and anut place, including a lock nut 20, toprevent displacement of the nut 19 and the washer 18. The shoulder 21formed-owing to the provision of the enlarged cylindrical portion 19 tohold the-bracket 17 in 16 of the bolt 15 engages one of the faces of oneof the lower ears 12, whereas the nut 22 threaded upon the end of thebolt .15 oppoitethe enlarged portion 16, bears against the outer face ofthe-other lower car 12,

thereby clamping the lower'ears together securely; 7

The lock nut 23 prevents displacement of the nut 22, In order to permitfree swivel movements of; the U-shaped bracket 1?, the Washer 18 isclamped in contact with the shoulder 24, which is formed owing to theenlarged cylindrical part 16 provision of the Extending transversely ofof the ten 15.

the cars of the U-shaped bracket 17 is 'a bearing bolt 26, on which theear 27, which is is an integral part of the casing 28 of the pneumaticcylinder, is pivoted. As wlll be noted each cylinder 28 is connected toeach end of the forward and rearward axles 1n a like manner, in order toaccommodate the backward and forward as well as the lateral movements ofthe body. The semi-elliptical springs 30 of the automobile need not beof the usual strength, but of such a character as to merely assist inholding the body in its necessary relative position to the running gear,for it-is to be noted that the pneumatic means including the air underpressure is to support theentire weight of the. vehicle body.

'Mounted in each cylinder casing is a piston 31'having a piston rod 32operable through a suitable packing gland or box 33'.

' The upper end of the piston rod terminates in an car 34, which ispivotally connectedbetween the cars 85 of the link36, as shown at 37'.The upper ears 38'of the link 36 are pivoted at 39 to the lug 10 of thecircular plate 11, which is bolted at 4:2 to the under face of the bodyof the automobile or other vehicle. Each' of the pistons is connected tothe body in a similar manner, and by such connections together with theconnections between the cylinders and the axles, the

body is allowed to move'forwardly and rearwardly as well as'laterally,incident to the machine putting on speed or re ucing it, or incident tothe machine striking gulleys or any other obstruction in the road.

Extending from the air reservoir are suitable pipes or conduits 4 1 and&5, which are provided with pressure reducing valves 46 and 47. Thesepipes 4A and i5 termi natein Y-bran'ches 48- and 49, and each,

' branch 50 of the Y 48 is provided with forks 51 and 52. The forks 51communicate with the lower portion of the front cylinders below thepiston 31, while the forks 52 communicate with the upper portions of thefront cylinders above the piston 31, so that in this mannersubstantially equal pressure of air is above and below the piston. Thebranches 53 of the Y 49 are also forged as shown at 54 and 55, which areconnected to the rear cylinders of the rear axle similar to theconnections of the forks of the branches 50. It is to be understood thatall the cylin ders are of like construction, therefore only one cylinderis described, which comprises an opening 56 in the bottom below thepisten 31, and an opening 57 in the cylindrical wall above the piston31. 'A cylindrical extension 58 projects laterally from the cylinder andis located adjacent the opening 57. A similar extension 59 projectsdownwardly from the lower end of the cylinder adjacent the opening 56,and arranged in the extensions 58 and 59 are "skeleton frames 60; and

61' secured in place as shown at 62, and guided in the frames are valves63 and 6%, the stems 65 of which are guided in the spiders 66' of saidframe, there being heavy strong springs 67 and 68 surrounding the stems,between the .valves and the spiders. These springs are of such tensionas to substantially correspond 'to the pressure in the cylinders, sothat the valves 63 and 64 will not open under ordinary conditions, such.as the machine running over a'smooth or even road. However, if the roadis rough and the wheels by chance strike a gulley, the cylinders willmove downward, and in this case the air above the pistons 31 will becompressed, and the valve 63 will slightly open (which may therefore betermed a relief valve), andthe space below the piston 31 will receivemore air, and when the cylinder resumes 1ts normal position, or when thewheels and axles resume their normal positions, the cylinders will moveupwardly. thereby compressing the air below the pistons 31, causing thepistons 31 to move slightly upwardly, and the valve 56 opening slightlyto relieve the pressure to a certain 31 will receive more air. In otherwords,

the greatest pressure is' first transmitted from below'the pistons toabove the pistons and vice versa. In case the wheels strike anobstruction, the results are practicallythe same, but in this case thecylinders first move upwardly, therefore the air'below the piston isfirst compressed and at the same time relieved, andwhen the parts resumetheir normal positions the greater pressure is above the pistons. V

In Fig. 6 another form of cylinder is provided and in which the air pipeonly communicates with the lower part of the cylinde'r, there being acoilspring 7 0 surrounding the piston rod 32 above the piston, and ofsubstantially equal pressure to the air below .the piston. .Mo'reover,in this construction the relief valve at the bottom is dispensed with,and in lieu thereof two small relief valves 71 are employed on thepiston. How- 'thereby in this manner preventing the danger of recoil orrebound. When the wheels resume their normal positions the cylindermoves downwardly, causing the trapped air above the piston to close therelief valve 7 1.

degree, whereas the space above the pistons mass 3 compressing thespringdm, and allowing the; relief valve 63 to'openin *order that theair a above the piston mayescape.

The .freducing 'valves 4c nd 4.7, are em-' ployed to regulate" the airpressure in' the cylinders.

pounds of presSure-in'the air reservoir, the reducing valve shuts itofi'from the cylin- 'ders at any'required pressurei ldy' the ployinent ofthese. forms of cylinders,f,t he' body of the automobile is practicallywholly pneumatically supported, ,and at the same time the recoil orreboundis 'ie :overcomel Theinventor isiw ell aware that pneumatic isalso well aware that universal connectibns have been employed in themannenas'dis. closed in the citations, therefore claimsare not drawn inthis" case to broadly cover. the

universal connections; However, upon read 'ing. this specification anda'pplying'the claims to the drawings, it is to be noted that theinventor has devised a special or particular construction of'pneidnatic' shock absorbers between the-running gear andthebody'of thevehicle, which pneumatic shock absorber has particular construction ofuniversal connections with each end'of each axle of the vehicle,"wherebythe cylinders'of the shock absorber may move and accommodate them- Iselves to all the. vibrations of the body relative to the running gear,incident to the alltomobile running over rough roads, as specifical'ly.defined in the claims.

The invention having been set forth,.wha isclaimed as new and useful1s 1. In. combination with a vehicle body and running gear therefor, aplurality of pneumatic cylinders having universal connections with therunning gear, each universal connection between each cylinder and therunning gearcomprisinc; a pair of bracket plates having upwardlyanddownwardly extending ears, means for clamping the upwardly extendingears together, a bolt having a cylindrical bearing head midway the endsof said bolt, said bolt beyond one side of the cylindricalhead extendingthrough the downwardlyextending ears and provided with means togclampthe ears together, a U- shaped plate, the arch of which'having anopening to re'eive the. cylindrical head to Copies this patent may beobtained for For example, in case there is 150.

connections with andoperated by the engine v oftl e,vehicle'restoringairin the I'BSBIVOH'. trali'zed'or for and pneumatic.pressurecushioning; 901.. gear, said pneumatic f pressure cushioning perand lower ears, means. for clamping the arch of which having an openingto receive 105 swivel the U-shaped plate in position, rneans, forholding; the U -shaped plate swiveledj on thehead, said ii-shaped platein turn having pivotal connections to the sideof thev cylinder, oneupon. each. end of each axle,

said cylinders including pistons having their upper portions provided.with universal con'-;

eluding reducing valves, and means having .70 2. Incoinbination with-avehicle body and i t a running gear therefor, a plurality of pneu-- manepressure cylinders having universal.

. connections with-tl'ie running gear, one iini-,

versally. connected at each end of each axle, 75

-.said-; cy-lindersincluding pistons operable therein, the upper-ends ofwhich have ii i U "versal connections with the body, and means ofcon'nection between the engine of therehicle and the cylinders formaintaining air pressure therein, each of. the universal con jnectionsbetweenthe cylinders and the axle comprising I bracketplates'clamped, to the' -aide, a U-shaped plate .swivelly connected tothe. bracket plates andhaving, a pivotal con iiection. to'tliecylinder..- v .3; In improvements. 111,3, structure as set forth, avehicle body, a'running gearthere} means to support the body on therun-ning.

means including pneumatic pressure cylinders, said cylinderslliLVlIlQllIllVBlSitl coiinections"with each end of'each axle of'the 3;.running gear, said universal connection coIIiprising a pair-ofbracketplates having up upper ears "together, a. bolt having acylindrical. bearing head midway the ends cf said bolt, said bolt beyondone'side of the cylindrical head extending throughthe lower ears andprovided with means to clamp the. lower ears together, a ii-shapedplate, the' the cylindrical head to swivel the shaped plate in position,means for holding the U shaped plate swiveled on the head, saidllshapedplate in turn having pivotal connections to the side of the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

- JOSEPH M. SULLIVAN. lVitnesses: H. G. ROBERTSON,

ED. M. PATTERSON.

five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

i Washington, I). '3.

.Iiectionsto the vehicle bodymn air reservoir hai lng. connect ons'wlth.the cylinders 111-

